News

Ghanaians in Kuwait: Torture, Slavery and Murder

Published

6 years ago

November 5, 2017

[dropcap]M[/dropcap]any Ghanaians, usually females, travel to Kuwait seeking for a better life, and instead end up in hell. Sordid stories of murder, rape, and human trafficking have become the cries of many, striking disbelief and horror into the hearts of those who hear them. Are these tales? Horrifyingly, these are true than we’d like to believe.

Horror Stories
There are many Ghanaians who hope to emigrate for better jobs and more opportunities. Many of them have chosen Kuwait as their final destination. Unfortunately, a great number of these people have realized too late this this is a horrible mistake. Many Ghanaians have found themselves stranded in Kuwait, with no way out and no way to improve their situations.

According to those stuck in Kuwait, there are a smorgasbord of frightening risks that await those who enter the country. Human traffickers posing as job agents entice unwitting female travelers into prostitution and other jobs they never agreed to take. One scam traps women into house cleaning jobs, although the women believed they were going to work at a hair salon.

Worse, some women have been sold like slaves by Ethiopian expats, who force the women into laborious servant jobs after selling them for around $2,000. While having to clean someone’s toilets against your will sounds like a bad predicament, try having to clean your owner’s pet snake. This is not even the most terrible part. The worst part is the abuse that these victims suffer. Torture and rape are not unheard of. One must choose whether to stay in this situation forever or try escaping and risk death.

Rumor has it that bodies of escaping women have been dumped anonymously in lonely places. Even a complaint can cause the victim to be hurt or even killed. Relatives of these women stop hearing from them after a while, and they must live with the fear that they have been murdered in Kuwait.

Travel Bans
Stories like these have caused concerned citizens to request that the Ghanaian government place a travel ban from Ghana to Kuwait. After all, human trafficking is an internationally recognized abuse of human rights, and every country has an obligation to protect human rights however they can.

And the problem is not just in Kuwait; travelers to Qatar have sent back similar stories. In order for this to end, travel bans must be instigated! As an anti-human trafficking advocate, I call on the Ghanaian government to place travels bans on trips to Kuwait and Qatar or to at least screen passengers to ensure that they are not at risk of becoming victims of human trafficking.